2011-2012 Birthing Season Is Upon Us

So far, this season is proving to be quite different from those of recent years as the usual often-seen bloody testosterone-driven territorial fights during the month of December haven't materialized.

Click here to see a video of the only truly bloody fight I've witnessed so far.

Instead, those adult male elephant seals that did come ashore starting in the early part of December came mainly just to rest and then move somewhere else. In the later part of December, some challenges were issued, but very few rose up to test their prowess.

Click here to see a video of some of this year's adult male early beahvior.

In regards to the females, first there were none on the birthing beaches, then only a handful could be seen around the middle of the month. Now, as December draws to a close, not only have many very pregnant females shown up on the smaller birthing beaches, but quite a few are also quickly giving birth to their adorable black pups. However, the normally huge numbers of pregnant females are still conspicuously absent from the big birthing beaches where they've always tended to show up first.

Click here to see video of a gentle giant.

The pregnant females that have arrived have had their flippers specially full this month dealing with the many energetic amorous younger males who are looking to mate with anyone of any age they can coerce into it. Interestingly enough, though, the alpha male will, for the most part, let the females show their skill at getting rid of these ardent younger males. Some of these new mothers have proven to be unusually vicious in defending themselves and their pups from unwanted attention this month.

Click here to see video of females in ferocious defense.

Click here to see photos from the past couple of weeks.

Elephant Seal Land Mid-December

Feisty youngsters will nearly always stand up for their rights even if it means going up against the biggest of the big.

Even though the Fall Haul-Out should be over, there are still many very active and captivating youngsters remaining on varying beaches.

Click here for more photos of youngsters in action.

Even though we're half-way through December, not too many of the 'good olde BIG BOYS' have shown up to claim California winter territory yet. Also, what's even more surprising is the lack of females. In fact, I've only observed a good amount of the fair sex on one beach....a beach that's not usually a birthing beach !

Click here for photos of some of the BIG BOYS.

Click here for video of the only 'Beach Chase' I've seen so far this season.

The younger adult males are busy participating in their preliminary bouts, most of which are lacking in tenacity at this point.

Click here for video of some of the yonger adult males in action.

Maybe the changes in coming ashore can be attributed to good fishing times, that we've been having a lot of off-shore winds and currents, or, just maybe, the elephant seals want to keep everyone in suspense ! Who knows ?

Click here for other photos from the past couple of weeks.

NEWS FLASH....the first pup of this birthing season was born a couple of days ago...probably Thursday, December 15th on one of the pocket beaches. A beach that so far only has 3-5 pregnant females on it. Maybe because this young mother is basically surrounded by males of all ages instead of being in a group of females, she is acting extremely anxious and is aggressively keeping all other elephant seals well away from her newborn baby girl. ( I have been alerted to the fact that a few other pups have been recently born on a couple of the larger beaches. )

Click here for photos of the newborn girl.

Click here for video action of pup and mom.

Astronomical Tides Causing Problems

Abnormally high and low tides have created quite a problem for the elephant seals on some of the central coast beaches.

Click here for more photos of the latest characters.

Thanks to huge mounds of kelp raising the height of some small beaches though, small havens have been formed where youngsters and pregnant females can get some rest ahead of the fast approaching birthing and mating seasons. Not finding room on what precious beach land that is available during the high tides, many of the rather feisty younger adult males have often been forced to stay off-shore and conduct their preliminary dominance fights in the water rather than on land. And many have proved themselves very adept at dealing aquatic punishing blows without the support of solid land beneath them. ( Interestingly enough, it seems that when the sea is in turmoil the elephant seals tend to be more aggressive. )

Click here for video of action-packed sub-adult male elephant seals.


A few larger adult males have already made it to shore, but apart from one bloody adult male, most of them seem content to sleep in preparation for the upcoming territorial fights.

Click here for video of pregnant females doing their thing.

Sub-Adult Males Are Dominating the Beaches and Shallows

Alongside the tan-colored bodies of mainly younger elephant seals that have been adorning some of the beaches of the Piedras Blancas elephant seal colony on the central coast of California for the past couple of months, more and more sub-adult males can be seen as well as heard.

Many of the sub-adult males are showing up in a feisty mood and have been putting on spectacular minor pugilistic shows both on land and in the shallows of the bays.

( Equality in size doesn't seem to be important as you can often observe much younger elephant seals challenging more mature ones. )

From the day they're born, most male elephant seals seem to spend much of their waking hours trying to dominate others, both male and female.

( It would be interesting to know how far back their memories stretch as sometimes they sniff each other upon meeting and don't engage in any sort of superiority fight at all. Whereas, at other times, they either sniff one another and immediately start to fight, or don't sniff at all but start fighting with little or no warning. )

A few of these newcomers, on the other hand, appear to be enjoying themselves peacefully floating around, eyes closed, under the surface in the unusually clear bay water. Then, there are still others that appear to be searching around for something, maybe something edible, in the nooks and crannies of the rocks in the shallow coastal water.

Click here for video of sub-adult males enjoying life in Californnia.

No matter the time of year, each elephant seal season always has something truly fantastic to present to the human onlookers.

Click here for photos.

Click here for video of sub-adult males in dominance mode.

Heading into the Last Month of the Fall Haul-Out

In the last few days, along with the very poignant smell of sardines and/or other bait fish a large quantity of tan-colored young elephant seals have suddenly showed up and are adorning the sandy beaches of the Piedras Blancas colony. As these chubby, well-fed newcomers start their R and R, sleep seems to currently be at the top of the list of their priorities.

In the meantime, there are many days where action amongst the occupants of the pocket beaches has been fast and furious.


Click here to see more photos of action shots.

Sprinkled amongst these youngsters, a few pregnant females can be spotted trying to relax, as the roars of engangement from a few early sub-adult males can be heard resounding across the coastal waters.


Click here to see young male elephant seals inside the waves or just at the surface.

As we head into November, the last month of the Fall Haul-Out, more and more sub-adult males will be showing up supposedly to rest but more likely to engage in rollicking dominance encounters.


Click here to see close-ups of young males in feisty enounters.

Click here to see video of not often seen male elephant seal behavior.

High Tides with Big Wave Action

Recent extremely high fall tides along with huge swells have created much wave action agitating this year's younger elephant seal participants of the Fall Haul-Out on the smaller pocket beaches on the central coast of California.

Click here to see elephant seals in sudsy white sea-foam.

High surf has caused the deafening waves to come crashing ashore temporarily occupying the small pocket beaches where some of the elephant seals have been trying to get some R&R. With their much-prized sleep interrupted, the boisterous younger male elephant seals have been forced back into the unforgiving chilly rough waters of the Pacific.

Click here to see photos of elephant seals in the rough waves.

As a result, much of the inevitable sparring and other communication amongst the younger male elephant seals has been taking place in these choppy waters as the elephant seals ride the rollicking waves.

Current occupiers of the beaches along the central coast of California include young males from this year's weaners up to young sub-adults as well as females of assorted ages, with even some pregnant slightly older ones trying to rest up prior to the upcoming birthing season.

Click here to see video of these elephant seals in the waves.

To see even more action photos, click here.

Continuing Fall Haul-Out

As the Fall Haul-Out continues, seaweed seems to be a huge favorite amongst the seafaring youngsters. Time and again, one can see young elephant seals twirling, shaking, and swallowing colorful pieces of different kinds of seaweed. To what end, you might ask ? Maybe the energetic youngsters are consuming their nutritional veggies ?

Energetic young males on high alert in the shallow bay waters, often keep pace with people walking along the bluffs....probably trying to determine if these people are a threat/challenge to them. Once they decide that these curious land-mammals are not intent on engaging them, the youngsters return to their own boisterous activities.

A few more mature young females can now also be spotted catching some R&R amongst the pale tan-colored younger elephant seals on the beaches.

Soon the eager-to-engage-in-dominance-fights older young males will also be showing up for their turn at the Fall Haul-Out at Elephant Seal Land on the central coast of California.

Click here for more photos.